Island of the Past
by Dragoness of the Stars
Summary: I can't really fit it all in a summary. To put it simple; Tigress, Po, and a couple other Masters journey off to a mysterious Island, where they will find secrets, some that should of been kept hidden, and a villain more powerful than any faced before rises from the unknown. But that's only the beginning...Yes, there will be PoxTigress in later chapters. Better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1: Midnight Snack and Ironwood

_Hi! It's me, Sleet12, with another story. Yes, there are about a bajillion of these PoxTigress fics, but I wanted to give one a try. I'm kind of a TiPo fan, and at the same time, I really don't want the next movie to have any romance in it, just stick to being about Po and whatnot. For those on the Nick board, this was originally 'A Story with No Name'. _

_Thanks for clicking on this, and I hope you enjoy! :)_

**_Chapter One: Midnight Snack and Ironwood_**

It was seven minutes until one in the morning, and the eastern part of the world was still snuggled deep into its blankets, enjoying what was left of the night.

Except for one panda, who was on a mission no one could or would ever stop.

He.

Wanted.

Dumplings.

Po gave a snort and rubbed his arm drowsily across his nose, which was running due to the cold, misty night. He was almost to his destination and his green eyes lit up as he licked his lips with anticapation.

"Po, what do you think you're doing?"

"Waaah?" Po gave a half-squeal of fright and turned around to see Monkey, who looked ready to drop dead from sleepiness.

"Uh-hah...Getting something to eat..." Po said, in the process of being fully awake.

The primate rolled his eyes. "C'mon Po, you got something twenty minutes ago."

"Exactly!" Po exclaimed, and before Monkey could stop him he rushed into the open kitchen door.

Monkey sighed at his friends' antics but followed after him in hope of finding some kind of herbal tea to help him go back to sleep, although he knew Po would be up in another half hour.

The mentioned panda was rummaging noisely through the cupboards until his paw grasped a small bowl, which he slid out and quickly filled with the dinner's left over dumplings.

Monkey scoured the shelves with hopeful blue eyes only for his shoulders to sag and his mouth to twist into a scowl when he couldn't find the specific tea he needed. The tan-furred primate knuckle-walked over to Po, who had sat down and was shoving dumplings in his mouth as if he wouldn't see tomorrow.

"Po, c'mon," Monkey grunted. Po quickly plucked the last dumpling into his mouth and then let out a satisfied sigh.

"That was good," he smiled. He set the bowl into the sink and headed over to the door with Monkey following wearily after him.

Suddenly, the bear seemed to remember what time it was and gave an exaggerated yawn, stretching his arms out behind him and squeezing his eyes shut. "Man, am I tired!"

"You're telling me," Monkey growled dryly.

"Monkey...carry me..." Po groaned, suddenly leaning over and almost toppling on top of the unsuspecting primate.

Luckily, after half a decade of being around the Dragon Warrior, Monkey was ready, and he caught Po effortlessly when he stumbled on top of him. But needless to say, the panda was still a heavy burden.

"There," Monkey wheezed after setting the panda back on his bed. With an annoyed glare he dusted his hands off and then prepared to leave.

And then that's when the loud BANG! exploded in the air.

Po sat bolt upright with wild eyes. "Monkey, Monkey what's happening?! It's the end of the world!" He screeched madly, running over to the Kung Fu Master and diving behind him in an attempt to hide.

Monkey sighed and stepped sideways to reveal the shaking bulk of black and white. "Po, it's okay." He croaked, his eyes twitching with the urge to close and for him to go to bed.

Po slowly got up, and shuffled over to his window. "What was that?"

"Tigress," Monkey grunted. "That's what."

"Tigress? What happened? Did she roar or somethin'?"

"Look outside."

Po did as told and peeked out of the window, and his eyes stretched wide.

Faraway, atop of a hill, stood Tigress who was glaring down at her felled enemy, an ironwood tree. Dust was still billowing up in clouds from where it had landed: in collision course with the now crippled piece of brass that used to be the gong.

"Woah." Po managed to slip out, his eyes tracing the mass of the rough-barked tree.

"Woah is right." Monkey said, stiftling a yawn. "That's the seventh gong in three years."

"Wait, she's been punching and breaking up ironwood trees for three years?"

"Twenty. A couple years back she had felled so many of those trees she had to come closer to the Jade Palace to punch 'em." Monkey informed. "Now good night, Po."

"No, wait!" Po said excitedly. "Why?"

"Oh no, I don't wanna tell the story...Maybe Crane or Viper can do that..."

"C'mon!" Po pleaded. "Please?"

Monkey sighed. "Alright," he muttered begrudingly.

Po kept his wondering green eyes trained on Tigress, who was breathing heavily and scanning her fierce amber eyes around the horizon for another victim.

"You know Tigress lived in an orphanage, right?" Monkey yawned.

"Yes."

"You don't know what happened before that, do you? Oh I really shouldn't be telling you this, she'll tear me to shreds..."

"She won't know." Po reassured, gesturing for him to go on.

"Well, before that, they say she lived in a village, long erased from China's maps or records. No one can remember its name. But it used to be known for the rare Fire Gem which lay underneath the surface, and was prized greatly at that time. This village was made up entirely of tigers, and it was a peaceful town. But they say one greedy soul, one of their one villagers, desired the power and riches under their feet more than anything else; he ravaged the village, setting flames to houses and not sparing anyone mercy within his reach. And when the villagers had gone out of the valley, he sent his army out to chase them out of China for good, so they wouldn't ever come back for their land. Those who were to slow for the madman's army never made it. He took no prisoners. Today's the day that happened."

Po gulped shakily, lowering his eyes to the floor, struck with the similarities between his and the feline's past. "Oh..."

"Tigress somehow escaped from the wolves and made it to the orphanage, and so they thought her dead, and they still do. We haven't heard of the villain since, but we know that there aren't any more Fire Gems in China." The primate sighed. "Don't go near her for another few weeks though, or she'll tear you to pieces." Monkey finished, drawing in a large breath. "And now, good night."

"That's sad..." Po murmured, looking back at the striped cat. "And I have an idea..." Suddenly, the panda dashed out of his room with speed unimaginable to Monkey and out of the Student Barracks.

"No, don't do it!" Monkey called, although he was to late. The bear was already on his way to the hill. "He won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow...none of us could..." He looked down and grimaced at the bright red scar that was still visible along his arm and shuddered.

"At least I had it off better than Mantis..." Monkey perched himself nervously on the windowsill and waited to see Po's doom, all the tiredness gone out of him.

~oOo~

Tigress drew back her clenched fist, her claws unsheathed but not piercing through her paw pads, which had been made rough and stone-hard through the years, and slammed it with all her force into the bark of the ironwood tree.

It was her third this night, and the feline's blows were getting more powerful, as they usually did when she progressed through her routine. Her mind, at the moment, was focused on nothing more than destroying all the trees in her path to strips of mangled bark, her amber eyes burning and bloodshot to an almost crimson that reflected the late night's half moon.

As she landed blow to heavy blow on the tree, the dent grew bigger and it began creaking and groaning, the bark splintering and giving way to the soft inside, which Tigress made a large, almost hollow circle, the image of her fist engraved on it.

She lowered her head, her eyes in furious slits, and then leaped up gracefully into the air. On her way down she flipped and then twisted until her foot made impact with the tree, and the whole plant shuddered with the power from her kick. There was a cracking sound, and the wood splintered. The ironwood groaned and the sound moaned across the forest like a wounded beast. Then a crack like lightning pierced the air and Tigress jumped calmly out of the way as the great tree whooshed down, the wind howling through the leaves. Then with a crash that sent vibrations shaking through the ground, the ironwood tree was felled. Tigress's eyes watered as the dust rose, and then her ears swivelled around towards where she heard the distinct sound of coughing.

"Geez, that's a lot of dust,"

Tigress's ears flattened and her pupils dilated with slight anger. "What are you doing here, panda?" The feline snarled.

Po was taken back by the vehement tone of her voice, dripping with poison.

"I-I..." The ferocious, dangerous gleam in Tigress's amber glare and the way she bared her fangs in a menacing, silent snarl made his words fade to nothing.

"Well?" Tigress hissed. The defiant look in her eye made Po want to shrivel up and disappear in a hole.

"I'm...sorry..." Po gulped, and then ducked as Tigress swung her fist at him, a roar shaking the valley and the panda.

"SORRY?!" Tigress shouted, enraged. "You're SORRY?"

"No! I mean, yes, um, I mean...uh, I don't know!" Po exclaimed, dodging the infuriated tigress's punches and kicks.

Tigress gave a harsh chuckle before aiming a spinning kick, which he ducked just in time. Then her smirk turned into a furious scowl, and she growled "Sympathy and compassion..."

The striped feline unsheathed her claws and panted, drawing her arm back to strike the bumbling panda. "They are useless! Po, go!"

The panda stumbled up and fled, not needing a second invatation. The South Chinese tigress was left heaving in gulps of air and with a snarl on her lips. Then she gasped and looked down at her gleaming claws, sheathing them into her shaking paw.

What have I done? She thought to herself, staring at her paw, the shock giving way to fear, that she felt every night, of herself. She looked to where the panda had gone, but he had vanished, and her eyes hardened.

Without another word, the tigress whipped around with a growl and stalked over to the next ironwood.

Inhaling sharply, the feline began attacking her next opponent, her thoughs not wavering from anything but destroying the tree.

~oOo~

_Hope you liked it. :D Thanks for reading, and please please PLEASE leave a review! I look forward to those!_

-Sleet12


	2. Chapter 2: Visions

_****Hi guys! Here I am with the next chapter! Nine reviews on the first day...wow...That's awesome! Yay! :D _

_****Sweetluckygirl: Thank you so much! What's your username on Nick, if I may ask? :) Keep reading and reviewing!_

_eddy: Glad you find it interesting. Keep reading and reviewing!_

_**Chapter Two: Visions**_

Po stumbled into his room and jumped on top of the bed. It was a miracle it didn't crack and break under the bear's weight, though it did sag noticibaly. He yanked his covers over his belly, succeding in uncovering his feet in the process, but he didn't care.

"What she do?" Monkey asked excitedly.

Po trembled, but couldn't say anything.

Monkey studied him thoughtfully. "You don't look hurt."

"I'm not." Po managed to gasp out.

Monkey's eyes grew huge, tinted with unbelief. "She didn't throw you down the steps? Use you as a punching dummy? Throw you into an ironwood tree? Whack you with a metal pole?"

With each question, Po shook his head. "She tried to punch me, and even claw me, but she didn't."

"OHMIGOSH!" Monkey exclaimed. "She let you go without a scratch! Impossible! Dude, you are so lucky! When I tried to make her feel better she...well, I was in the infirmary for a month."

"Yeesh." Po shuddered, remembering the cold, fiery hatred in the feline's eyes.

"I wonder why...I mean, she had no mercy on the rest of us, not even Viper or Shifu!"

"I dunno - no, wait...what did she do to Shifu?" Po questioned.

"She couldn't do much damage, since he was so fast, but rumor has it she somehow managed to hang him up on a tree by his robe."

"Awesome! I mean, uh...poor Master Shifu." Po grunted, trying to cover up his first comment, but through his white fur the blush was noticable.

~oOo~

Tigress hurled her fist at the tree again and again, her mind racing with multiple thoughts.

Why won't that panda ever leave me alone! Screamed one part of her brain, while the other, barely audible part whispered he's just trying to help, you shouldn't be so hard on him.

Suddenly Tigress stopped dead mid-blow. "Why'd I let him go without..." She didn't need to finish her sentence because it became a snarl of rage.

"Oh, that's just _great_!" she roared sarcastically, resuming her fight against the ironwood. "I let him off easy!"

This particular tree was sturdier than the rest, one of the greatest ironwoods Tigress had laid eyes upon, and it was taking longer than expected. Even though there was a sharp breeze, it did little to help the striped big cat cool down, with sweat streaming down her cheecks, her sides sticking to her damp clothes. Her amber eyes still held their furious gleam, but now exhaustion made her falter; even the great Master Tigress has a limit.

She gave a frustrated sigh and decided to finish the tree tomorrow. She looked down at her paw and something unaturally dark was trickling out of the top. She shrugged, barely noticing the blood, and wiped it away on her pant leg.

She swept her eyes across the clearing, which was bleached with moonlight, and blue shadows crept across the clearing from the forest, but Tigress's feline eyes adapted to the little light until she could see every detail. Then they widened as she spotted tendrils of some kind of dark mist spring from the shadows and seep towards her at a surprisingly rapid pace. Tigress felt a shiver of the slightest feeling of alarm creep up her spine, because she recognized the mist well. Better than she should of.

Tigress felt the icy talons of actual fear grip her heart and begin to squeeze the breath out of her, the tiger's amber eyes widening as the mist crept steadily up and covered the sky, and Tigress's vision was focused on two blood-red eyes.

~oOo~

Monkey was happy, now, that Po had gone to try and comfort Tigress, and now the panda showed no signs whatsoever of wanting to get up from his bed because of that episode.

The primate shut the door behind him, and with a silent cheer headed back to his room, only to groan and stop short when he heard the sound of scales sliding against wood. "What is it, Viper?"

The snake sighed. "I can't sleep."

"I'm sorry if you had the nightmare about the flying cow again, but honestly, can't you talk with Crane?!"

"He's needs his rest from the bandit fight two days ago."

"Mantis?"

"He's unreasonable to talk with."

"Tigress?"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO END UP BEING TORN IN HALF?!"

Monkey sighed a bit louder than inteded and shot a frosty glare to the reptile. After a pause, he growled out a "Alright, what is it?"

"Well, this time it was about-"

"A dancing sheep?"

"No! Monkey, this is serious!"

The tan primate rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay! Tell."

"Well," Viper began nervously, and suddenly Monkey realized her voice was wobbling and her eyes were bloodshot. "It was about this black panther...she came and took over the Valley, and...and Tigress and Po were badly injured."

Monkey scrutinized the snake for a moment, but judging by the trace of fresh horror still in her azure eyes, he guessed she wasn't just adding stuff to some silly dream, or making up nonesense.

He opened the door to his room and let Viper in. "Now, tell me all of it, no details excluded." He asked after sitting down on his mat, a new sense of seriousness filling the air.

~oOo~

"_No...!_"

The word wouldn't form itself, although Tigress had tried to shout it out over and over again. "Oh, no..."

Although she didn't know who or what it was, the black, hooded figure standing in front of her made terror creep up her spine, and the only two things she could distinguish from the black mist and the person were the crimson eyes glaring at her. But his eyes pierced right through as if she was invisible and were staring at something behind the South Chinese tigress. She whipped around and let out a small gasp.

_Peering with terror-stricken eyes at the black figure behind her, Tigress noticed a young female tiger cub stumble back into the protective, striped arms of a faceless big cat. Tigress's amber eyes followed them as they raced away through prickly undergrowth with the black figure hovering after them. Another figure followed, this one young but not as little as the tigress cub. It was a small tiger, maybe five years old, with a fierce expression. Suddenly he stopped and skidded around, the other two stopping and staring back with horrified expressions as the five year old tiger lashed out with miniature claws to the black figure, and they merely went through him as if he was water._

_The tiger cub growled but backed up, his bold attempt reduced to foolishness. He raced back to the adult tiger and tigress cub and they all ran, though it was hopeless. At the last moment, the adult tripped, and the tigress cub fell from his grasp. The black figure quickly unsheathed his sword, but the five year old tiger stepped in his way just as he was about to bring it down on the cub._

_"Step out of the way, child," the black figure hissed._

_"You will not harm her!"_

The last response echoed in Tigress's mind as everything faded away to the clearing and the striped big cat was left gasping for breath and trembling with fear, an emotion alien to her since as long as she could remember.

Suddenly, the forest began to blur, and everything became hazy, unperceptible objects in Tigress's vision. Darkness came and began creeping into her mind like the dark tendrils of mist slithering out of the trees. The clearing vanished to blackness as the tigress's knees buckled and she slumped to the ground, unconcious.

~oOo~

Po couldn't resist. He lumbered over to the window, the blanket falling off him and sliding to the floor. The panda peeked timidly through the window and gasped. Tigress seemed to be surrounded by some kind of dark fog, her eyes trained on something unseen.

"Tigress?" Po murmured in confusion. Suddenly the pantherine took a step back, looked around wildly, and without warning crumpled to the floor.

"Tigress!"

The panda raced out of the Student Barracks clumsily, not caring if he was loud. He raced up the hill much faster than expected and up to Tigress with a grim look on his face. Po suddenly stopped short, prayed that he wouldn't be killed, then bent over nervously to see if the Master was okay.

She wasn't. Po could tell immediatly from the way her amber eyes were diluted to a cloudy gray, and the way she was opening her mouth yet no sounds came out. He waved his paw in front of her striped face hopefully. No reaction,

"Don't worry!" He said, although with some sixth sense he knew she couldn't hear him. "I'll get help!"

The panda bolted down the slick hill, quickly running out of breath, and without bothering to knock, stumbled into the Jade Palace, where Shifu was sure to be meditating.

"Inner peace...inner-inner peace...in-in-in...-"

"MASTER! MASTER SHIFU! SHIFU SHIFU SHIFUUUU!"

"What is it this time, panda?" Shifu snapped, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Meditating was going nowhere...maybe he should try therapy..

"It's Tigress!"

That brought him out of his musings. "What about her?"

"She went unconcious! She's on the floor, and she had some kind of mist around her, and-and she looked really panicked..." Po blubbered out what he had witnessed so fast it sounded like on giant word, but Shifu managed to decipher 'Tigress is in trouble' from his rantings.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"On the hill!"

Before Po could say another word, the Grandmaster had speed out the Jade Palace doors, and Po bumbled after him, panting. He was having quite a night...

Shifu stared at Tigress grimly, a frown etched on his face, making him look all the older. Po finally crawled up to him.

"If this...isn't excercise...I don't know...what is!" he gasped out, heaving in gulps of air. He eventually composed himself and got up, walking over to the red panda.

"So, what's wrong with Tigress?" the panda asked.

"Po, she is having a Dao-Ki."

"A Dow-what?"

"A sent-vision."

~oOo~

_Darkness..._

_That was the first thing Tigress's amber eyes opened to find. Shapes and figures slowly began to form obscurely in her vision, mixing and melding into different, dark shades._

_Fire. Screams. The acrid tang of smoke. Red eyes, paralyzing her, immobilizing her, so that she couldn't even blink._

_She was powerless. Tigress hated feeling like that. Helpless. Useless._

_She watched on in frozen terror as the same black figure from before wafted out of thin air._

_A hopeless village. A black villain. And no hero._

_No, wait, there was a hero! Something blurred, something that looked like a yin-and-yang symbol, black and white, attempted to fight with the hooded creature._

_But it overthrew him. The villain was unstoppable. Then, suddenly, Tigress found her friends, Masters of the Jade Palace, encircling her with blood-red eyes, suffocating her, pressing into a tighter circle...she had no escape..._

Tigresa

_The darkness faded._

Tigresa

_The figure vanished, followed by her zombified friends, and waving green grass slowly transformed from the licking orange flames._

Tigresa

_A muted waterfall cascaded down into a shimmering pool of crystal-clear water, and flowers brimmed on the sides._

Tigresa

_Tigress narrowed her eyes and scanned around the horizon, but couldn't spot a thing._

_"I'm right here, young one."_

_Tigress whipped around to face another hooded figure, this one draped in white. The only thing visible under the shadowy hood was a pair of blue eyes and white fur._

_"Who are you?" Tigress growled, the fur along her spine bristling._

_"All in due time," the voice filled the place and yet was reassuring. And somehow, Tigress knew she could trust him._

_But she didn't listen to her thoughts and instead snarled, her tail lashing back and forth furiously. He was just another hooded figure, after all._

_Unsheathing her claws, the striped feline prepared to lunge. But the piercing blue gaze immobilized her as she locked eyesight with the white figure._

_"What do you want of me?" she hissed, managing to look away, flattening her ears against her head._

_"Listen, Tigress, and listen closely, for these words hold the key to the future of your home," the hooded figure said, his eyes in slits. Tigress turned to look at him, her scowl disappearing and her eyes wide with apprehension._

_"You and him must unite to face the one that destroys. You must be brave, have courage, and never leave your spirit." then he paused, a sense of fear begining to seep in._

_"Remember this place, _Tigresa_. Remember and beware. Beware of the Black Wizard!"_

_And then all was gone in a swirl of silver mist._

~oOo~

"What's a sent-vision?" Po asked, puzzled.

"A vision sent by a Great Master of Secrets and Magic. Also known as a wizard." The red panda rasped.

"A wizard?!" Po exclaimed. "How does a wizard send a vision?"

"Only they know," Shifu shrugged.

Po let it brush by and stared at Tigress. He had carried her into the kitchen, and was stretched out on a mat they had dragged in. Then the panda's eyes widened.

"Master, Master Shifu, she's talking!"

Well, not really. Her lips were moving, but no sounds came out. Then, a faint noise made Po prick his ears. She _was_ talking!

It was too low for him to make any of it out, so he asked Shifu. "Can you hear what's she's saying?"

Shifu's ears swivelled around instinctively. "Beware..." His eyes grew wide. "Beware the Black Wizard?"

"What? Who's the Black Wizard?" Po asked. This was befuddling him.

Shifu stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "I do not know." He replied slowly.

And with a gasp, the gray from Tigress's eyes dissolved steadily, turning back into it's fiery amber-orange.

"Tigress! Are you okay?" Po asked, eyes huge. "What happened?!"

The feline fixed her gaze on the panda, an eyebrow raised. "I-I had a dream, Po. A vision." _More like a nightmare._ "That everything was dark and in flames...China would come to an end, Po...unless we stop him."

"Stop who?" Po asked. He looked over to where Shifu should be and gave a yelp of surprise. The red panda had vanished!

_"The Black Wizard." That was not Tigress's voice. Po looked back to the striped cat to find a white clocked figure, a hood covering it's face. Po jerked his snout up in alarm as lightning crackled in the air, and thunder boomed overhead. A door slammed open, and wind howled inside, beating against the rafters. Rain poured in through an open window, spraying water all over Po yet not touching the white figure._

_"To Tigrespart Island, and make haste. The fate of China rests in your paws, Dragon Warrior. Look after her as if your life depended on it-which it does,"_

_Po let it sink in, quickly trying to memorize what he had said. "Who are you?" he shouted over the raging storm._

_The figure, which had begun disappearing in thin air, turned around to look at the panda, and Po caught a glimmer of blue beneath the hood. "A warning." The remainder of the figure answered softly, before disappating completely in a shroud of silver-gray fog._

Po shook his head and groaned, blinking his eyes open. The storm still billowed on outside, but the door and window were closed, muting it greatly. Shifu and Tigress were both sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea and with concerned looks on their faces.

"Po," Shifu said as the panda got up, his blue eyes solemn.

"Tell me everything."

_Well, well well. We shall see where this is going to end up, shall we? Hope you liked, and please tell me your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks! :D_

_-Sleet12_


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning of a Journey

_Hi...Yeah, thank you to all who reviewed! It means sooo much to me! :D_

_Forgot to mention...I do not own Kung Fu Panda_

_**Chapter Three: Beginning of a Journey**_

"-and then I woke up," Po finished, exhausted by the nights events. Tigress and he had both shared their experiences with Shifu, who had listened thoughtfully, his blue eyes faraway and distant, searching for invisible answers.

The clock had ticked by, and it was three thirty in the morning. The Masters had brewn cup after cup of tea to keep themselves awake, and now, they felt more tired than ever. Blinking took exaggeratted effort.

Po gaped out a long yawn, patting his belly full of tea. Shifu was still staring ponderously at the wall, his ears twitching ever so slightly but nothing else moving. Tigress stared daggers at Po while drumming her fingers placidly on the table, waiting for the Grandmaster to speak.

An unbearable pause of utter silence passed, and Po's eyelids drooped, heavy as iron. "Shifu?" he asked drowsily, waving his paw in the red panda's face. "Shifu, I know the wall isn't _that_ interesting."

Shifu suddenly snapped his head back and stifled a huge yawn. He looked up at Po with serious eyes. "So," he said slowly with an amused half-smile. "It looks like we'll be going on a journey."

"Yes!" Po whooped excitedly.

"After we get some rest."

"Aww..."

~oOo~

Nothing was in her favor today for Tigress as she walked steadily beside Monkey up to the harbor. Why did some hooded guy have to come bugging her to journey to some Tigrispart Island? What in the names of all things sacred was she going to accomplish there?

Whatever the reason, she sure hoped this place had ironwood trees. She was going to need a few of those.

Po had obviously never been to a harbor before. He kept exclaiming at this and that, all unimportant things. Tigress wondered vaguely how she was going to survive the trip with him.

The rough, sea-sprayed wood against her paw pads told Tigress she was on the dock. She looked up with bored eyes, spectulating the ship that was rocking mildly back and forth, a tough-looking rope holding it in its place. It was a magnificent boat, with a dragon head roaring fiercely at the stern, and golden letters encripted neatly on the smooth wood sides: 'The Water Dragon'. Yet Tigress was unimpressed. At least, that's what Po could judge from her expresion.

"Woah! That's so much cooler than the boat we took to Gongmen!" He exclaimed, trying hopelessly to raise her spirits. Tigress looked like she was going to say 'lame', but instead added more vocabulary to her sentence.

"The way we escort ourselves to the Island does not hold importance with me." she growled softly, ignoring Po's disappointed eyes. "All I need is wings, and I could fly there."

With that said, the feline stalked over to where the others were stepping on board.

Po sighed. He guessed he had been expecting too much from the tiger. Ever since she had hugged him during the epidemic with Lord Shen, she had been friendlier-except since yesterday. She had returned to her normal self. Her old self.

Secretly and silently, Po vowed that he would change Tigress back to her new self (her new old self, really). Somehow, some way, no matter what the obstacles-

"Po! Get on board! We're leaving!"

The panda responded to Crane's voice immediatly, blundering up to the boat. The ground swayed slightly beneath him, and he tried not to notice the sickening, stingy feeling rising up his throat. Oh, how he hated boats.

Po looked up and gave a start. The shore already seemed a million miles away, and there was his dad, waving goodbye with wet eyes and with Mantis perched on his shoulder. Viper was coiled up next to him, shouting a goodbye that was drowned by the sounds of the sea. The two Masters had stayed to defend the Valley while the rest were gone, and hopefully it would be a short mission.

If only Po knew that hoping wasn't going to get him anywhere.

This would be the beginning of the biggest journey in his life.

The panda waved a farewell and turned around to face the endless blue that only stopped at the sky.

~oOo~

Po woke up to another rocking day on the sea, the smell of musty salt mingling with the aroma of slightly decaying wood.

The panda sighed. He had gotten over his sea-sickness a few days ago, but he was getting tired of waking up and the first sight being creaking wooden boards.

He slowly managed to get up off his mat with a yawn, scratching his gritty-feeling head. When was the last time he had bathed?

Walking over to the door, the panda opened it and let the gray sunshine warm him with what little heat it could spare. It was a misty morning, and Po shivered slightly, gazing at the gray waves.

Looking over to the other side of the deck, Po noticed a certain striped feline standing with her hands clasped behind her back. But before he could even shout out a hello, Shifu called her over.

"Drat." Po murmured, watching the red panda and tigress enter the room. He walked over to the door and opened it a bit until his head could peek in.

"Hey, guys!" He said cheerfully. Tigress held back a groan and Shifu tried not to look annoyed.

"Panda, do you need something?" The Grandmaster asked calmly.

"Umm..." _Think, Po, think!_ "I was wondering if I could help with whatever you guys are doin'..." _Worst excuse of the century._

Shifu studied him with barely surpressed surprise. "I don't see any harm in it."

"Master-" Tigress began, cringing.

"You can come in, Dragon Warrior."

Po smiled. "Thank you, Master Shifu." Porpusefully, he stepped torwards were Tigress was standing rigid, staring menacingly at the ground.

"Hi Tigress," Po greeted brightly. The South Chinese tiger sighed slightly, and Po looked down where he had seen a sudden gleam against the sun. The feline's claws were fully extracted.

Tigress hoped Po had gotten the warning. _Do __**not**__ mess with me, or else._

Po didn't.

"So, what are we doing?" The panda asked with curious eyes.

"We are deciding which route to take to Tigrispart Island," Shifu informed. "We are here," he pointed at where he had marked the map, "And we need to land here; Tigrispart." The red panda tapped a small gray splotch of land far from where the ship was.

"What's this red line?" Po asked.

"The quickest, yet most dangerous route." Shifu said. "It passes through places known for their storms."

"And the blue?"

"That's the safest way, but it would take three weeks to get there, if we don't come across objectives."

"And the green?"

"That route would take a week; it crosses through uncharted waters, but it isn't known for storms, or even pirate raids. No one knows what lies there."

"And the yellow dot?"

"Yellow dot? Where's that?" Shifu asked, studying the maps intensely. His blue eyes found a small yellow dot in between them and the red line.

Tigress rolled her eyes. "That's a piece of noodle." She sighed, flicking it away.

"There's a giant piece of noodle in the middle of the ocean?! Awesome!" Po squealed.

"No, there's not." Tigress said coldly, then changed the subject. "I propose we take the safest way."

"But the white figure told us to make haste," Po protested. "What if we're too late?"

"Well, I'm not going to go on the most dangerous way. We could be caught in a tempest." Tigress argued.

"But what if that's the only way to get there in time?" Po retorted.

"And what if we don't get there because we all drown in a storm?" Tigress had trouble keeping her temper in check, her tail twitching irately and her eyes in aggravated slits. She looked away from the panda, biting her tongue to keep herself from going to far.

_Nice going, Po._ The panda thought to himself scornfully. _I've only made it worse._

Shifu looked on with a bemused expression, one eyebrow raised. "Well then, if neither of you can agree, I say the green route is the best."

The two both looked torwards Shifu, having forgotten that he was their entirely. "Makes sense," Tigress agreed frostily.

"Yeah," Po sighed.

"Good. You are both dismissed."

After Tigress had bowed, she had rushed out of the room, pushing slightly past Po. The panda was comtemplating on following her when Monkey called out, "Hey Po! Where's our breakfast?!"

"Coming!" Po shouted back with a small sigh. He had completely forgotten it was his turn to cook breakfast. His belly rumbled slightly, and he patted it absent-mindedly then lumbered quickly over to the kitchen, where Crane and Monkey were waiting impatiently.

"Sorry I'm late, guys..." he mumbled with a half attempt at a smile.

"Is something wrong, Po?" Crane asked.

"Nah. Everything's...just awesome." _Things are __**not**__ in my favor today... _He thought absentmindedly as he began cooking.

~oOo~

Stars hung in the indigo sky, veiled by a thin cover of mist, and the dark water pounded lightly against the sides of the boat.

With his crimson eyes trained on the 'Water Dragon', the wolf kept his ears pricked, studying the ship with a cruel smile playing on his lips. Tomorrow would be fun. Fun indeed.

"Faster," he muttured to his second-in-command, flicking his ears in his direction. The other wolf nodded. "Faster!" he barked quietly at the other lupines who were rowing on the sides of the boat. The wolves complied, blood-red eyes gleaming.

Quickly, the boat gained on the looming Water Dragon.

"Quiet," The Headwolf snapped. The wolves did as told. With a lick of his chops, he turned around and faced the boats in his command; Two flanking the one he was on. With flashing eyes he murmured excitedly, "We will bring Master a mighty prize- and he will give us a mighty reward."

The canine smirked, his eyes narrowed. "Tomorrow morning, Morgulins, we attack!"

The wolves tried to resist the urge to break into howling, but pounded their feet against the boat's floor and grinned toothily in excitement, some letting out yelps of anticipation and others brandishing weapons.

The Headwolf lifted his snout to the moon, and howled.

~oOo~

Po awoke with a jolt, sweat pricking on his forehead. _I'm sure I heard something..._

Po's ears were laid back in fear, and distantly he heard the eerie sound of a wolf howl. Probably my imagination, he reassured himself. Nothing to be worried about.

He strained to hear something else, but no sounds were audible except for the gentle lapping of the waves, and pawsteps.

Wait, pawsteps?

Po felt like he was going into a nervous breakdown. _Oh, c'mon, you're the Dragon Warrior! Compose yourself!_

His self-consolations were dashed when the door creaked open and revealed a shadowed figure. Po stifled an unmanly scream and got up in a hysterical, messy Kung Fu pose.

"I'm warnin' ya!" He tried not to whimper. "You better ge' ready to feel da thunda', 'cause the Dragon Warrior isn't 'bout to take it easy on you, whoever you are!" Po squealed in fear as the figure brought a lantern to it's face to reveal-

Tigress.

She had an amused look on her face, her whiskers twitching as if trying to cover a smile, which she was. "It's me." she retorted. "Everything ok?"

Po felt like being swallowed up by a hole. This was _so_ embarrassing...

"Yeah..." he coughed, scratching the back of his head, his cheeks turning a dark red, even though the panda himself didn't notice. "Just-Practicin' my Kung Fu moves, ya know."

Tigress raised an eyebrow, her expression reading 'Oh, really?' but she said nothing. "I'll be outside, I'm on guard. Call me if you need me." she said, beginning to close the door.

"Wait!" Po called, then slapped a paw over his mouth.

"What?" Tigress asked with mildly interested eyes.

Po studied the feline, the moon making her fur silver and her eyes seemed like fire. He felt himself being mesmorized slowly as they entrapped him, hypnotizing him..._Snap outta it!_

"Goodnight, Po." Tigress grunted before shutting the door. Po squirmed back into his bed and let his head fall onto his pillow.

Those fiery eyes were still there when he drifted out of conciousness, his mind still pondering about how to make things right with Master Tigress.

~oOo~

Po yawned, waking again, now used to finding himself in a ship. He slowly walked outside, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning."

Po looked to his side, seeing Tigress. "Have you been awake since-"

"Yes." Tigress said without a hint of tiredness.

"Dude, you need to, like, rest..."

"I'm fine," the tiger growled.

"No, c'mon, you gotta sleep sometime."

Tigress sighed. Then after a while she gave in, stifling a yawn, the thought of bed seeming suddenly comforting. "Fine." she murmuring, turning to her room. Then she looked back at Po, and that was all that he needed to see to know she'd forgiven him.

But her stare turned hard quick as it had been soft and then she stalked over to her room, a small frown on her elaborately striped face.

Po felt increadibly happy, so he went to celebrate by stuffing his face with as many dumplings he could. After a couple dozen, he turned around, sucking one of his fingers, to find Shifu staring at him. "H-how long have you been here?"

The grandmaster ignored the question, but instead informed. "Po, we have a week until we land at Tigrispart Island. Our journey over the sea is almost over."

"Yes!" Po cheered, spittle landing on Shifu's snout. The red panda flicked it away in disgust and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"So-"

Po's question was cut short as a scream pierced the air.

_DUN. DUN. DUN! Cliffhanger!_

_Yeah, I know. Not one of the most exciting chapters. Sorry it was boring, but I kinda had to fit it in...Well, to make it up, the next chapter is gonna be SUPER long and AWESOME! So, hang on, it'll get better. Don't forget to leave a comment, even though this chapter is really dull ;)_

_-Sleet12_


	4. Chapter 4: Battle at Sea

_Yeah, didn't expect many reviews for the last chap. I'm not surprised. Anyway, here is the epic chapter I promised you. Read on!_

_**Chapter Four: Battle at Sea**_

"Man, you scream like a girl, Crane!" Monkey exclaimed.

"Can we not talk about that and focus on getting out of these blasted ropes!" The avian muttered, his cheeks hot with embarrassment as he tried to squirm free from the tough, thick rope binding him to the mast of the ship.

"Yeah, yeah..." Monkey responded, though the playfulness had left his tone. He wriggled and strained to get free of the rope, but instead it only made breathing hard and he could feel it cutting into his skin.

Suddenly, he felt something icily cold press against his throat and he froze, slowly shifting his gaze up to see a red-eyed wolf.

"Stop yer movin', primate." The lupine scowled, his yellow fangs bared. A scarlet stripe ran down his black-furred forehead, making him look like he had a gash there. Monkey gulped and bid himself to stay still. He noticed Crane was unmoving beside him, staring up with fearful golden eyes.

"Dat's mor' lik' it." The wolf sneered, his sharp teeth glistening wetly in the rising sun. He gave a sly, crooked grin and sheathed his sword. Monkey surpressed a relieved sigh, though, when the wolf tossed a katana to one of his comrades, who looked much like him, except his fur was a dark shade of brown instead of blackish-gray.

"Watch 'em, Fang." he ordered with a trace of a snarl.

"Yessir, Uruk." Fang nodded grimly, stepping up beside Monkey and Crane, the katana's handle clutched tightly in one sturdy paw.

And that's when a roar shook every beam and fiber of the ship and it's new, dark passengers.

~oOo~

Tigress raced out of her room with a furious, thundering bellow. She skidded to a stop and rose to two feet, a snarl on her face, eyes harsh but glittering with the prospect of oncoming battle.

All she needed to see was Monkey and Crane tied to the mast to make her raise her lips in a snarl and unsheath her claws, her muscles tensing. Wolves. Everywhere wolves. Red eyes and red stripes down their foreheads, different shades of dark colors. Tigress thought she had seen them somewhere, somehow, and linked with them came the ominous feeling of dread. Their eyes glinted and burned with one desire and one desire only.

_Kill._

Tigress resumed her fighting position with a low, threatening growl. "Who are you, and what business do you have on our ship?" _Where are Po and Shifu?!_

The wolves, which there must of been a hundred of, gave short barks of laughter. "Foolish, bold tiger..." One of them hissed, the one with black-gray fur. He took a step forward, challenging her to attack, with his tail high and swishing back and forth proudly, his head cocked and his eyes more threatening than the rest. _A leader,_ Tigress thought.

"You have not answered my question, dog." She rumbled, her amber eyes blazing and in slits.

"Who ya callin' dog, kitty-cat?" His temper began to reveal itself through it's layer of cockiness.

Tigress, on the other paw, forced herself to stay calm and to think straight. _They could just want money..._ She mused. But no, the multitude of the motley gang and the weapons they carried, and their murderous stares did not suggest a theft or a raid. They were here for something-no, someone. Someone special. Tigress clamped her jaw into a tight line, her ears pressed flat against her striped head. "You still refuse to answer me, dog."

"Lemme at 'er!" One of the wolves snarled, and another gave a bloodthirsty howl of a predator seeking prey.

"Silence!" The leader boomed, raising his fist to the air. The lupines quieted but sent death-glares to the Master of the Tiger style.

The wolf leader turned to the tigress with a bitter scowl. "Pretty 'un, ain't she?" He smirked. Tigress felt her hair bristle with agitation. "A brave 'un, too. An' real soon, a dead 'un. _Little_. _Dead_. _Tiger_."

Now Tigress felt like she could snap every one of those mindless canines in two. Pah, who cared about compassion?!

With a snarl she lunged into battle, claws and teeth gleaming against the new sun.

~oOo~

As soon as the scream had speared through the air like an arrow and filled Po's mind with swirling expressions of danger and darkness, the panda had run to the door. He jangled the door knob in distraught desperation. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, C'MON!" He demanded, ramming his shoulder and side against the door. On normal occasion, the plank of wood would of broken and splintered from the force (and weight), coming from the panda, but instead of the crunch of wood and expected thud when he hit the floor, Po heard a cackle.

"Ya won' got out now," the voice sneered nastily, sending shivers down Po's spine. "We got da who t'ing blocked wit' iron out 'ere."

"Wolf-Morgulins!" Shifu gasped.

~oOo~

Years after years after years of training had shaped Tigress into a lithe, deadly warrior that could strike and knock out some of the strongest men in China.

But these- pathetic excuses for bandits, lowest of lowest, were too easy. With a swipe of her tail she could unbalance one and send him teetering over the edge of the Water Dragon.

"Attack!" Uruk, the leader, howled, and wolves began pouring down on Tigress like hail. Morgulin after Wolf-Morgulin was easily knocked down with a couple blows.

The feline twisted her agile body in the air and brought her foot smack into one of the lupine's chins, sending him yelping into a bunch of canines. Four wolves lunged at her all at once, coming from four different directions, and the striped cat sprang nimbly into the air, and all the wolf Morgulins crashed together into a heap of dark fur, which she landed on gracefully. Her attack continued, punches and kicks raining upon the wolves.

At first, Tigress thought this was a feeble, mere excuse for a gang. Then after what seemed like an eternity of striking narrow snouts and swiping furry legs did she began to feel a twinge of-weariness. She kept pounding on, though, but soon movement was forced; had it been two hours, or three? The wolves swarmed back at her like mindless, yet angry bees. She sent one flying and another bounded over to take it's place.

Quickly and effectively she crashed two canine skulls against each other, and both lupines crumpled to the floor. Tigress felt bone-weary, her muscles aching and sweat pricking at her brow. Her breathing evolved from normal to ragged pants as she mercilessly sent wolves staggering back with life-long scars.

As an ultimate last resource, the feline began using her claws, raking them across fur and flesh, swiping them across weak, vulnerable places like exposed bellies and soft noses. But still, the Morgulins persisted, their hungry, malovent howls and grins making Tigress's sensitive ears feel like bursting. She leaped in the air and did a spinning kick to one wolf, who went high in the sky, rocketing to the clouds and then crashing down on more of his evil pack.

Sidestepping a blow from a hammer, Tigress grabbed the weapon and knocked out it's owner, using the iron hammer deftly with sounds whacks. But as she felt her energy and stamina sap away, she could feel her muscles shrieking for her to stop, her mind blurred and so exhausted she didn't think, she just did. Her moves were becoming blind, and her sharp feline eyes could now scarcely make it one wolf from the other as they threw themselves at her, sweat pouring off her sides.

She felt like sinking to her knees in defeat, let herself be devoured, but the last of her will and adrenaline kicked in, forcing her to go beyond her limits and do as her Master had trained her to do; defy the impossible and to keep fighting, no matter what.

Tigress felt a distant thought flash through her mind; where was the Dragon Warrior, and where was Shifu?

But they were put aside as she punched another dog with astounding force on his nose, sending him yelping. Blood-red eyes and bloodthirsty jaws surrounded her at every angle. But she didn't give up, she couldn't, wouldn't!

Because this was what she had been trained for.

And even though she wanted to fall and collapse, she would keep fighting, for as long as she could still breath.

~oOo~

Uruk growled. "_Attack_!" he snarled viciously, loud as storming waves. "I said, **ATTACK**, you useless fleabags! **_ATTACK_**!"

The wolves' ears pricked and they continued to lunge at Tigress, snapping and growling. The feline threw dog after dog after dog back, but more came. Uruk noticed she was weakening, slowly but steadily, the last of her energy ebbing way to nothing.

But yet, she kept battling, not giving up.

Uruk gave a nasty smirk. If she wouldn't give up physically, then he would make her mental condition go as worse as possible.

"You, Fang!" He barked. The shaggy brown lupine looked up.

"Yes, Master Uruk?"

"Those two-tha bird an' da ape. Kill 'em."

Tigress looked and her eyes widened, a silent _'No...'_ escaping her lips. Crane and Monkey were both squirming with all their might, but to no avail, as Fang approached them with a wry, wicked smile that looked like a pleased snarl on his hideous snout. With one paw grasped to his sword, he unsheathed a katana and raised it to the air.

And that's when things happened so fast all was a blur.

Tigress, while being distracted by her fellow Masters' predicament, hadn't noticed on of the enemy had begun to bring down his hammer, aiming for her head. However, the wolf had misjudged his aim, and the flat stone hammer had smashed into the feline's unprotected shoulder.

At the same time, Monkey braced himself and winced, preparing for his doom, when instead he heard the sound of ropes ripping and tearing apart, being sliced by a sword. He looked up and gasped.

Gone was the brown-furred Fang and in it's place stood a pure white wolf with jade green eyes, his cape billowing out in the salty wind, the katana still gripped in his paw.

Then all three snapped their heads up at the sound of a pain-filled, fearful yowl.

~oOo~

"Think, Po, think!" Po muttered, banging his head against the wall.

_The wall..._

Po turned to Shifu with a smirk. "You're gonna have to use your head in this one."

~oOo~

"Tigress!" Crane and Mantis both exclaimed in panicked tones simultansiously, while the white wolf's eyes grew wide and he muttered something in a foreign language.

Tigress was flailing over the side of the boat, her right arm grappling with the edge desperately, her claws scraping against the boards in a desperate effort to get a hold.

Her left arm hung limp beside her side, her shoulder crushed. Tigress's vision was turning a dark red, and then all her strenght abandoned her.

"I'm sorry, Master," she whispered. _I've failed you..._ She added silently before closing her eyes and letting go, falling, falling, falling into the wild, dark waves below. _(A/N: That kinda rhymed...)_

~oOo~

"You fool!" Uruk snarled to the wolf who had slammed Tigress and sent her flying into the ocean. "You idiot!" He let out a string of curses in a different language, each syllable making the other Wolf-Morgulin cower more.

"You should be thrown in there with her!" Uruk announced with a cruel sneer. "Morgulins; kill him."

At his command, the wolves piled on top of the loner and he was gone with a howl of terror.

~oOo~

Monkey scrabbled up and jumped over to the ship's side, but all his blue eyes could spot was a sinking paw. He was about to leap in the dark water when something crashed.

Loudly.

~oOo~

"Next time, panda, Shifu croaked groggily. "Warn me before using me as a battering ram." The red panda rubbed his snout and then plopped down, dazed and dizzy.

Po cast a mild glance at his Master and then at the wolves. Some where stumbling, others wounded, and more still there and growling, though shooting cautious glances. The tiger was an invincible cat of fury; what would the panda be? And the tiny mouse?

Some eyed the ocean thoughtfully, others rashly just dived in. No way where they suffering another defeat.

Uruk growled. "Cowards!" He spat, seething. "Come an' face a challenge!"

The ones who had heard his command approached Po and Shifu warily, weapons at the ready.

The last thing most of them saw was an ebony fist in their faces before all went dark.

~oOo~

Po dusted his hands off; that was easy. Either these were really crummy bandits or someone had badly beaten them before he had gotten to them. Tigress, most likely.

With his army depleted to nothing, Uruk gave a whimper, raising his sword with a shaking paw as Po approached. Then with a snarl, he dropped his weapon and jumped off the ship. Po looked over the side to see him rowing madly on another boat. He looked up with menacing red eyes, and roared "I will be back! Just you see!"

Po rolled his eyes, looking back. The wolves had all jumped into the ocean and were paddling frantically after their leader (their boat, more likely).

"Monkey, where's Tigress?" Po asked the primate who was staring blankly at the water. He pointed shakily and swallowed hard.

"S-she fell, Po."

Po looked down and saw a faint outline of the tigress. "No!" He exclaimed. "Someone, get here!"

He glanced around him at his friends, heart racing. Monkey and Crane looked cut and bruised, and Shifu was too small. The only person to rescue her, Po realized, was him. He looked over to Shifu with inquiring eyes.

_Protect her as if your life depended on it..._

Without another hesitation, Po dove over the side of the ship and into the freezing water after Master Tigress.

_Okay, so, wow...Tigress is gonna die...Well, we'll see. :D Thank you for reading, and PLEASE leave a review!_

_-Sleet12_


	5. Chapter 5: Strange Happenings

_I'm really sorry for taking so long, my life has been SUPER busy! But, here is chapter five to make up for it! :D Read on!_

_And yeah, forgot to mention in my other chapters (I'm very forgetful)...I do not own Kung Fu Panda._

_**Chapter Five: Strange Happenings**_

The first thing Tigress could feel was a dull throbbing pain pulsing in her arm, shooting over her muscles and bones, soon becoming a searing fire, leaving in it's wake the feeling of frosty numbness, cold as ice. Then. Everything. _Stopped_.

And the feline opened her eyes.

She could remember falling off the boat and into the thrashing waves quite clearly, feeling the pull of the ocean dragging her to the never-ending blackness below, feeling salt water erupt in her nose and ears and mouth, leaving her wanting something, anything, to clear her senses from the nauseous, dehydrating taste.

But what she saw now was completely opposite of dim rays reaching through the dark azure water that couldn't touch her, of an endless abyss of darkness. No.

Because in front of Tigress stood two other striped pantherines, one male and one female, basking in the warmth of the noonday sun, with it's rays making their fur glow and their eyes glimmer.

One, the male, was tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, with fierce amber eyes and a smile on his snout. He had on dark blue pants, a golden sash from his right shoulder to the left side of his hip, and a white cape.

The female was much different in appearance, though. Her fur was jet black and silky-smooth, and her keen eyes were a pale green, the color of spring. On her forehead was a scarlet diamond, a birthmark, perhaps. And if the sun's rays hadn't touched her like they were now, making visible that her fur was the darkest shade of orange amidst wide black stripes, one would determine that she was a black panther. The black tigress was wearing a simple white tunic with golden leaf patterns, and baggy blue pants.

Both felines turned and looked at Tigress with smiling eyes, their paws clasped tight. The male gave a wide grin and motioned for who-Tigress?-to come up to them. Tigress looked behind her, only to see miles stretching upon miles of endless ocean depths, no one else for the tigers to ask to join them.

And so, without another hesitation, the Kung Fu Master stepped up to the pair, the beginnings of a smile curved on her lips.

And that's when her head bonked against something-hard.

Tigress stumbled back in confusion, shaking her head. Again, she tried stepping up. _Bonk_. Timidly, she reached out and poked the area in front of her, and her finger was met with a hard, flat surface, smooth but tough as polished stone.

The feline gave a grunt of surprise. _Why couldn't she pass?!_

Then she looked back to where the tigers stood, and instead faced the white figure from her vision.

"Oh. You again." she scowled, looking around wildly for the other two. "What happened to them!?" she demanded with the beginnings of a snarl. "What did you do?!"

The white figure chuckled. "'Tis not yet your time, Tigresa."

And with that, darkness began creeping quickly back in.

"No!" Tigress roared, cringing as the pain in her shoulder returned. "No! Why are you doing this?!"

She looked up, only to see the blue water, black covering her vision like a blot of ink. Then a sentence tickled her ear, in the white figure's voice.

"Because you must complete your mission and fulfill your destiny."

And that's when the salt water started to seep in, suffocating her. The desire to breathe oxygen burned like flames in her lungs, but the pain in her shoulder more, and she couldn't swim forwards the surface.

For the second time that day, the blackness overcame Tigress's vision and left her sinking to her doom.

~oOo~

Po felt the freezing water try and push him back to the surface, the waves pounding him up and down on a salty roller coaster, but the panda pushed on, forcing himself to swim further. He pushed water back to propel himself deeper, deep as he could.

Finally, he opened his jade green orbs and then closed them quickly again. Salt water stung and burnt his eyes, making tears slip out and mix into the ocean. But the Dragon Warrior made himself open his eyes again, ignoring the pricking, flashing pain and look for Tigress.

He squinted in the blue. Everything seemed the same. He needed air, badly, he wanted to burst out of the surface and swallow all the oxygen in China, but he kept looking for Tigress.

She wasn't there. No faint black outline of the feline. Nothing.

Po was about to add a lot more salt to the ocean from his tears, when something furry brushed against his leg.

The panda looked to his side and found Tigress's dark shape a couple feet away.

Po wanted to shout with joy but resisted, taking Tigress's arm in one firm paw. He would _not_ let her go.

The journey up was much easier, given the fact that Po was driven by the need for air...and that fat floats.

But just as Po was about to break through the surface, his screaming lungs failed him, deprived of air too long, and then all plummeted to darkness.

~oOo~

Crane, Shifu and Monkey were looking over the side of the boat with wide eyes and quickened pulses. Monkey nervously clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white, and Crane looked like he was hyperventilating, he was breathing so rapidly. Shifu just stared, uttering an unheard prayer.

_Let them be all right._

He could not afford losing two of his best students...rephrase that, he didn't want to! Losing Po and his foster daughter would be worse than losing Tai-Lung-

Then a white and black ursine head burst out of the surface, bobbing among the waves. Tigress's arms were draped over his shoulder, her head pressed against his. Both looked unconscious, but yet it would of been a perfect picture.

Monkey, at that moment, decided he would come up with some sort of picture-taker so that moments like this would forever be seen...his idea sparked the innovation to create the camera...(I'm getting a bit carried away, aren't I?)

Anyway, Monkey was so going to tease Po every day of his life, and Tigress too (if he could manage to survive) for this moment.

The primate's thoughts were disturbed when Shifu ordered something to Crane "Go on and get them."

The avian nodded and clutched a rope in one talon. With a few beats of his wings, Crane was hovering over the panda and tiger. He lowered the noose-like circle of rope over Po's belly and Tigress's arms, then with a sharp pull began dragging the two back to the ship, straining with all his might to get them to the boat.

The crane handed Monkey the rope, and he and Shifu pulled the two up. Po flopped on board, belly-up, wheezing and sputtering and very much alive.

Tigress, though, was a different story altogether. She made no sound, not an ear twitched. She was curled in a crippled position, and her shoulder was glistening with blood, mangled and twisted gruesomely forward. The only sign that she was still alive was the rasping, inaudible breathing heard only by Shifu (and a stranger standing behind them, yet to be noticed). The feline's chest rose slowly and faintly, her eyes closed and ears flat against her head.

Po crawled up with a sneeze, shaking his head to clear away the taste of salt. He looked up with wide eyes, the question clear in his eyes. "Will she be alright, Shifu?"

The red panda's mouth was in a tight line, his brow furrowed, his blue eyes fixed on the ground so as not to betray his worry. He didn't know.

"Yes, she will survive."

The voice did not belong to the sage Grandmaster. No, it was a voice of thousands of years, and of one breath of life. All turned, save Tigress, and faced the white wolf who had freed Monkey and Crane.

His sharp jade green eyes studied the group intensely, his ears pricked at an odd angle.

"Who are you?" Shifu asked. Who knew, he could be with those other red-eyed wolves...

"I am Silverfang. At your service." The white wolf gave a sweeping bow. Monkey and Po instantly forgot their current predicament and let out squeals of excitement, their eyes huge and mouths gaping.

"Silverfang?" Crane gawked. "As in the Silverfang, the Wolf-Elf?"

"The one and only." Silverfang replied with a small grin.

"Like, the one who defeated The Legendary Blood-Bandits of Rage, th-the wolf that fought his way through THREE armies with nothing but a cape and two arrows?!" Po's words came out in a flurry, but Silverfang understood what he said and nodded.

"Master Oogway's first student- and the one that helped him gain the knowledge of inner peace." Shifu finished. Even he was astounded that this legend among legends was here. On his ship. With the same cape that he had fought with in The Battle of Fire.

"AWESOME!" Po and Monkey both squeaked, then high-fived.

Before Po stumbled to his room to get some paper and a pencil for an autograph, Silverfang cleared his throat for attention. Everyone looked up.

"The tiger-she needs attention," he said softly. "Her wound could get infected, and that broken bone needs to be mended as quick as possible."

"Agreed," Shifu nodded. "Crane, you tend to them, since you have knowledge of the healing arts, Monkey, you go help him." Shifu snapped in a demanding tone, then added "And somebody else, get me a latte!"

Monkey stared at Shifu with confusion. "What's a latte?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Shifu shrugged.

"I don't know, it just sounded good." Monkey gave a snort of laughter he tried to disguise as a cough.

Crane bowed and dragged Po away from Silverfang and to his room, with the help of the primate.

Shifu looked on in approval, chuckling slightly.

"Excuse me, Master Shifu?"

The red panda turned to face the Wolf-Elf. "Yes, Silverfang?"

"If you would not mind, I would like to tend to Tigress. I'm sure your avian student is capable of the task, but...I believe that Tigress could heal faster if I could at least help."

Shifu slowly began to nod. Yes, Elves were known for their skill in healing. "Yes, you have my permission, Master Silverfang."

The wolf bowed, and Shifu bowed back respectfully. It had been over two thousand years since had last been called Master, and it had a nice ring to it. _Master Silverfang,_ the white-furred wolf smiled faintly. _Nice ring indeed._

Silverfang stepped up to Tigress, and his smile faded. The feline would be a pawful. He had seen worse, ever so much worse, but he knew his skills would be tested. Hope must be kept.

Binjo had sent him on a mission. If he failed this, he would fail the world. If the striped big cat did not recover soon...

A shudder swept down his spine, and he winced visibly. Having to disguise himself as one of those treacherous, black-hearted Wolf-Morgulins, he realized, was not a task one could easily forget doing.

Tossing those foreboding thoughts aside, Silverfang bent down and scooped Tigress gently in his arms. Effortlessly, the Wolf-Elf carried her to her room. She felt like nothing in his arms, and she seemed half-dead, _almost_ nothing, actually.

"You'll get better." He said softly, in the language of his race, as he gazed down at the South Chinese Tigress. "And I will help you...Mei-Li."

He elbowed open the door and gingerly lowered Tigress to her mat. She made no sound but the way her nose wrinkled and her muscles tensed, Silverfang knew she was in pain. He tapped one finger on her forehead and her restfulness ceased, a content look feeling her face. At least, now, she could endure the pain with a sense of peace.

The wolf gave a firm nod and a smile to himself, beginning to exit the room. And that's when it caught his sharp eyes, the faint glimmer of gold.

Silverfang turned back, and his eyes widened, whiskers twitching.

Attached a chain around Tigress's neck was a perfectly round circle of gold, and engraved on it was the pattern of flame. Silverfang gave a deep sigh of relief. She had it, and he only hoped the panda had his too.

Silverfang walked out of the room in hopes of finding some herbs to help the ailing tigress, a smile etched on his face.

The impossible seemed just a bit possible, now.

~oOo~

_Fire._

_Screams._

_Red eyes._

_Rooper was running, bolting and heaving, stumbling across the vast expanse of snow and trees stretching in front of him like an endless maze. In his suddenly child-like paw he was clutching cloak of the person in front him. Snow flurried into his eyes and ears and nose, making him shiver madly. He felt miniscule, cub-like, following the running figure in front of him, clutching it in involuntary fear, like he was some scared kitten._  
_This was quite strange, considering that when he went to sleep he was a quite large, thirty-two year old tiger._

_Panting could be heard behind him, hot against his back. Flames licked at the sides of the trees, turning the bark to ashy black. Two dark figures, wafting and wavering, shimmering like mist as they weaved through the blackened trees. A loud voice boomed after them like thunder._

_"XIA-RU!"_

_"MEI-LI!"_

_Rooper's eyes widened, knowing somewhere he had the knowledge of who those names belonged to, and who was roaring those names across the forest in fury._

_And then Rooper remembered why he was here, and what he was doing._  
_The blurry figure in front of him became clear, a brawny male tiger with the a small part of the white cape fanning out behind him clasped tightly in Rooper's paw. They were tearing deeper into the woods, away from the tendrils of white-orange fire._

_Away from the black shapes._

_His father, his amber eyes usually fierce, cal, and not ever betraying a trace of fear, were clouded with terror and wild with a furious anger. The tall, well-muscled pantherine raced against the wailing wind and snow that made you numb, defying it, his head lowered and eyes in slits._

_Suddenly, a howl erupted behind them, vicious and bloodthirsty._

_Rooper's heart plummeted into a hole of icy fear._

_An ear-splitting, nerve-wracking snarl behind him made Rooper's blood freeze to ice. A Wolf-Morgulin, saliva dripping off his chin, crimson eyes burning madly, rushed up to his father, hammer in paw._

_The tiger quickly kicked the lupine away, and Rooper's amber eyes fell upon another cub squeezed tight in his father's arms, as if he was afraid if he didn't hug her as tight as possible, she would perish. Which might, in this case, have been true._

_"GET THOSE CUBS!" The same, spine-chilling scream echoed and resounded across every tree and rock in the fire-consumed forest. Rooper's father ran faster, and the young five year old cub's toddling legs were pumping insanely to try and keep up with him._  
_More wolves began pounding after the tigers in the snow, blood-red eyes gleaming, teeth bared, howling, snarling. A dog-chase-cat kind of situation._

_Except Rooper hoped the cat would manage to escape._

_Suddenly, his father tripped. The canines behind him advanced with snapping fangs and raised swords. Then their attention was diverted by a small whimper._

_Curled into a tiny ball sat the little tigress cub, looking up with horror-filled hues. As soon as she saw the wolves, she gave a yelp of fear and scurried away._

_"No! Mei-Li!" Rooper's father cried, his eyes wide with indescribable anguish. The tiger tried to follow her but was blocked by two menacing-looking wolves with spears pointed at him. He would kill those wolves..._

_But more of those dogs were circling him. He had to move. Xia Ru was counting on him. He let out a silent wish, praying for the impossible chance of her living, but his hope was wasted._

_He would never see his daughter again._

_Then he looked down at his son's pleading eyes, and off the two raced into the jungle, scrambling away on four legs from the wretched wolves._

_And that's when they reached the ocean, glimmering faintly with what could be seen of the moon through the building clouds. It full and neverending, reaching beyond the beyond. Surging and rolling with waves._

_Stars peeked out timidly from the ever-darkening sky. A small dinghy awaited them, rocking restlessy on the dark water._

_The tigers quickly boarded, trying to not fall into the ocean themselves. The wolves gained on them quickly, sprinting across the now-disturbed stretch of pale sand._

_Rooper's dad rowed, muscles straining. The wind fought against them, howling with the wolves who tried to run after them but didn't dare get into the freezing water._

_Other tigers quickly stumbled into boats and rowed after them, hurrying out into the ocean._

_Arrows flew through the air, whizzing after them, leaving trails of smoke. Most missed, sizzling as they skittered into the great dark expanse of water. Rooper's father caught one and broke it in two with one snap of his fingers, anger seething out of his every corner._  
_His eyes filled with grief, then overwhelming hatred and rage._

_"Morgul...my own wife...how could you?" The tiger repeated the question but this time as a demand. "How COULD you?!" He bellowed, his roar drowning out the sound of the ocean and the shrieking of the wind, of the searing, rumbling fire, of the screaming villagers, the snarls of the wolves._

_Everything except the malovent, evil laugh that pierced the air._

_And as the fire from his village reflected in Rooper's terrefied amber eyes, a sickening fear overwhelming him, making him feel helpless, hopeless, powerless...His whole life burning to ash in his eyes._

_Without warning, a giant wave rose looming over their small boat and came crashing down, sending them deep into the wild ocean, sinking, sinking..._

And then Rooper woke up.

_Yeah, yeah, I kinda switched Silverfang around a bit from my first version of this story...instead of being Oogway's actual master, he's his first student. And sorry for not adding that part about the necklace in A Story with No Name, for all those who have read it...kinda forgot about including it. ;)_

_Anyway, hoped you liked it! Please leave a review, those are like brain-food! They help me write..._

_-Sleet12_


	6. Chapter 6: Danger Brewing

_Okay, firstly, I am so SOSOSO sorry for taking so very long to post the chapter. I have a giant list of excuses, but my main are that I moved around three-four weeks ago and we haven't had internet since FOREVER. So I hope you accept my apology and this super-short chapter which I didn't have much time to write. Enjoy if you can, and remember to leave a comment!_

**_Chapter Six: Danger Brewing_**

Rooper, a sturdy tiger with amber eyes, gave a gaping yawn, squeezing his eyes into slits and stretching out his well-muscled arms. He slid out of bed, quickly changing from his night clothes in an absent-minded matter. His brain felt muddled, the dream from last night sticking to him like an ominous spider-web. Flashes of dark-robed figures and blood-red eyes sent shivers down the striped big cat's spine. And however much he wished it away, the feeling of dread clung to him, even while he went out into the fresh spring morning.

The sky was a pale eggshell blue, with thin wisps of clouds dancing around the sky, the new morning sun sending its warming golden rays to stretch across the jungle-like expanse of Tigrispart Island.

Though it didn't wash away his nightmare, Rooper couldn't help smiling at the beautiful morning. He began trotting down the sun-baked, hard-packed path that was snaking through the trees. His feet unconciously led him through the dense forest, the green canopy of leaves shadowing everything with a greenish hue. Slowly, Rooper's fateful sense of dread ebbed into mild uneasiness as he wove his way through the well-worn jungle road.

But yet it still haunted him, so he tried to think it over. Everything had so clear and precise, so sharp, when he was dreaming it, now he couldn't recall half as many details. He had heard his father's roar, the pounding of the waves, the evil laughter at the end. He had felt the snow crunch underfoot, biting at his legs and feet as they sunk into it, and he had felt the wind whip in his face, howling, driving their ship back. Even the faint, metallic smell of blood could be scented amidst the chaos. And he had seen everything before him as if a perfectly still reflection on glass. But now, it was if he had been staring at the images on a body of water, and someone had reached over and touched it, making it rippled and murky, so no matter how hard Rooper tried to remember, only a few certain things were absolutely clear to him.

Like when someone had been shouting out the name in a thundering voice;

"MEI-LI!"

"XIA-RU!"

That voice was the same one that had cackled wickedly before the wave crashed down on top of Rooper's boat.

The tiger was so deep in thought as he traversed the well-known path that only when he was a few feet away from it did he notice the figure draped in white. Then the striped pantherine looked up with surprise, stopping in his tracks.

"Come with me," it growled, and before Rooper could say or act, the figure had a paw clamped over his mouth and was dragging him into the deeper parts of the undergrowth.

~oOo~

Viper wriggled and writhed and hissed and mauled at the ropes until her bare pink mouth could taste blood, but it did no good. Mantis hung limply beside her like a green rag-doll, his pincers dangling like ornaments from a roof.

She didn't know how she had ended up bound in iron shackles and clasped to one of the Jade Palace's polished collums. Mantis was to groggy-feeling to even think that he was in a cage wrapped around with wire, barbed sharply and rusted.

Her attention, however, was drawn to the present when the doors of the Palace when the were flung open as if by a gust of wind. Muffled paw steps squeaked slightly on the shining green floor, and Viper looked up, heart clenching in fear.

A black hood shadowed most of the creature's face, and it was wearing an oddly feminine cloak, a dress almost, with a red sash bound tightly around its waist. In one black paw, a dagger was being absently fiddled with, and a long black tail lashed impatiently back and forth. "Ah, the legendary Masters Viper and Mantis." the voice mocked, obviously female, silky and almost a soft purr. "I thought you would put up more of a fight, give me a challenge. Guess some people just...exaggerate." At the last word she flipped her dagger in the air and then caught it without even looking, clucking as if it were great loss.

Viper's eyes blazed accusingly, and she let out a weak hiss. Mantis mustered enough strength to croak, "Who are you?"

The figure, apparently feline, gave a laugh like the tinkle of water. "Why? You do not know who I am?" Even Viper saw the gleam of white teeth flash into a relishing smirk. Quickly, the feline flipped her hood off to reveal a jet-black, smooth head, with a scarlet diamond shape marking on her forehead, looking almost delicately carved on her perfectly-shaped patherine face. Dark green eyes glared smilingly at her, narrowed in wicked delight.

"I am Scarlet, sister of Morgul." she hissed "And I have taken over management of the Valley of Peace."

~oOo~

How long have I been asleep?

Po awoke to the smell of noodles, or so he thought. His jade green eyes flew open, and involuntarily, his stomach rumbled, and he searched the room for the source of hunger.

On the table, almost gleaming with a golden halo, stood a bowl of perfect noodle soup. The panda drooled and began running to it. Funny thing, though, he hadn't remembered seeing a large green hill, where the table was set, inside the ship. Maybe they had made it to Tigrispart.

Who cared, he was hungry.

He ran and then trotted and then walked, plodded, and finally began crawling to his destination. At last, after what seemed like an eternity of green grass and heavy breathing, Po reached the enticing bowl...to find it gone!

He glared around, panting. Who dare steal his noodles!?

Then the figure in white, that was getting very familiar, condensed before him, with the bowl of soup held so very temptingly close to Po. The bear let out a growl, of his stomach or throat he didn't know, but it was fierce, anyway.

But before the Dragon Warrior could speak, the snow-colored hooded thing beat him to it. "Do not fall for everything you want, Xia Po. Those closest to you might be accidentally leading you to your downfall, if you do not stay wary." With that, he pressed a small object in his hand and snapped his fingers, taking himself and the soup to vanish.

Po jerked awake with a distinct feeling of hunger. Then he looked down, and in the pad of his right paw, was placed anecklace, with a golden locket on it. Swirls of green were drawn delicately on bath sides of it's flat yellow surface. Po shrugged and put it under his pillow, then shuffled out of bed.

~oOo~

The panda stumbled out to the deck, his sturdy legs wobbling slightly from the sleep still lingering over his body. He swung open the pantry door and, drooling, snatched a bowl of leftover dumplings. Then, after some thought, he tucked a couple almond cookies into his pockets and hobbled out. Ginger and crimson streaked the sky, and the sun was an amber ball slothily climbing down and melting into the water.

Po, on impulse, stopped at Tigress' s door. He rapped on the door quitely. No answer. He peeked through a crack in the wood, then slowly opened the door. It creaked complaints, and the bear cringed, hoping not to disturb the sleeping tiger.

Her face was strangely peaceful, her breathing slow and painful, but her face almost pleased. Her whiskers twitched, and Po's breath caught in his throat, and he froze. Then the feline sighed quietly, letting out soft, cat-like snores.

The Dragon Warrior tip-toed out, careful not to spill the food in his hands, but just as he was about to close the door, a faint voice stopped him.

"Po?"

"Uh...hi?" Po winced. Tigress managed a grim smile, then held back a yelp of pain, eyes flaring. Every single movement hurt and burnt like fire.

"Um, I don't think you should...move..." Po said awkardly.

"I know that," Tigress growled sarcastically. Completely ignoring his advice, with a great effort, she managed to sit up, groaning quietly, her eyes screwed into slits from the pain. Po knew better than to help her, though. She wouldn't like it if he did that, she'd believe he thought her as a helpless kitten. So the panda stayed motionless.

"What is it? Something wrong?" Tigress asked through gritted teeth, each word made a salty taste well in her throat and every move of her battered shoulder made her cringe. Po shook his head.

"Just came to see if you were alright." he shrugged.

"I'm fine, rest assured. Absolutely fine."

The ursine cast her a dubious glance but tethered the urge of questioning. But, unexpectedly, his mouth took over and he spoke before thinking. "That was amazing, y'know."

"Wh-what?"

"You fought I don't know how many wolves to a pulp, alone."

"Pfft. They were easier than training dummies. Their skill was zero. It was my own fault I failed."

"No, it wasn't." Po reassured uncomfortably. "There were so many, barely a dozen where left. Face it, Tigress, you underestimate yourself."

Tigress' s face reddened and she looked away, growling slightly. "You need to be humble if you want to have the life of a warrior, Po." she reprimended softly. "Pride must be kept low. It leads to mistake, and failure."

Po, a bit taken back, began treading quietly out, back to the door. "I don't care what you say, Tigress, that was still...awesome." Then he started to leave, balancing his cookies and dumplings in the crook of his arm and cloasing the door at the same time. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"Wait..." The feline's voice called. Po halted. "I forgot-thank you, Dragon Warrior. And my apologies for being so stern."

Po smiled, nodded, and closed the door. Then he looked out to the see, and spotted something in the misty morning that made his eyes grow wide.

_Okay, so, before you go, let me ask you guys something... (I think I'll ask a question for every chapter now, just for fun)._

_What would you use to defend yourself from zombies? If you answer, the next chapter will be put up sooner. :D Hope you liked the chapter, and, as said before, please leave a comment!_

_-Sleet12_


	7. Chapter 7: All Things Tigrispart

_Hey!_

_...Please don't kill me._

_I know. I know. It's been an eternity since I last posted a chapter, and I could give you all the reasons, but I don't feel like listing them. Let's just say I wasn't able to get my story through for a long time. And now, you probably all hate me. I feel terrible for having kept you waiting for so long :( Well, anyway, here's the next chapter, and chapter eight will be up soon too, since I already have it written. _

_And before you go, I'd just like to give a huge thank you and shout out to all those reviewers, especially the guests since I can't respond to those, who spared some of their time to write a comment on the last chapter. You guys rock!_

_I do not own Kung Fu Panda._

_**Chapter Seven: All Things Tigrispart**_

Rooper knew he was strong, but the white figure seemed to be ten times more powerful. The touch, strangely, was gentle, and not forced, yet the tiger couldn't seem to unclamp the white paw from his mouth, paying no heed to his struggles.

Finally, it let go. Rooper inhaled sharply and spat on the ground, rubbing his mouth before glaring upwards.

"What do you want?" he demanded authoritatively, standing straight and sizing up the lanky white figure, which was about a head taller than him. Rooper, usually calm and dignified, was battling against his fury. How dare a commoner drag the King of Tigrispart Island into the jungle. It was sheer madness!

The figure was muttering things under his breath. "No debes arruinar todo ahora, Binjo..."

"Excuse me?" Rooper growled.

Sighing, the white creature took off his hood. "Hello, Xia Ru."

It was a feline's face; blue-eyed and his fur whiter than fresh snow. A single horizontal stripe crossed his foreheard, like a swipe of dark ink. Rooper held back a strangled cough.

"What did you call me!?" He asked, his head swimming. The dream was fading even quicker from his mind, sucking to the bottom of a whirpool.

"Xia Ru." The snow tiger nodded, a little quirky smirk curving to his snout, only to disappear even more quickly. Then he spoke, slowly and solemnly.

"Listen, Xia Ru, with ears that understand and don't just hear-there will be disaster coming to your island, quick as a flash and leaving nothing in it's path...but there will also rise those who oppose it. A warrior of black and white, and a hero with a heart of flame. They will be your saviors, only if you welcome them. But beware, Xia Ru, beware the Black Wizard..."

The snowy feline exhaled, closing his icy blue eyes. "It's good to see you, Rooper." He whispered, before whipping around in a blur of ashy white smoke.

Rooper covered his face with his thick arms and coughed, waving the smoke away blindly. Then it cleared and twisted up to the sky to join the clouds. The tiger King was left alone, solo. The jungle had returned to usual, birds chirping out the merry songs and the leaves swaying to the breeze that purred through the green canopy. Rooper treaded out of the jungle growth, expertly ducking overhanging branches and snagging thorns.

Then he stepped back onto the path and was soon trotting through the tropical underbrush. He was even more confused now, and trying to sort it out made it even worse.

"Oh well," the pantherine muttered to himself. "I'll just leave it in fate's paws and focus on getting to the Palace."

~oOo~

"Land!" Po shouted excitedly, waving his arms in a wild manner. "I see land ahead!"

It was just a gray shape, bulky-looking and with smudges of silver mist circling and shrouding most of it, yet the panda could definitely see that it wasn't just imagination.

He heard the patter of feet and Monkey, Shifu, Crane, and Silverfang raced up to him.

Shifu slitted his eyes. The shape was about the size of a walnut now, but before long it would get much more distinguishable. But there were no other marked islands in this part of the sea. "That's Tigrispart Island, Po." The red panda nodded.

"We should get there by evening." The white wolf murmured. "I am going to check on Master Tigress."

"Wait!" Po called. The white wolf halted and turned.

"Yes, Master Po?"

"Oh-Tigress is awake." Po added quietly, after sputtering out a couple more fanboy exclaims. He still couldn't get over the fact that someone that awesome was on their ship.

The white wolf seemed satisfied as he nodded. "Good, thank you for telling me. I must go and tend to her."

Then the Elf strode off. Po wondered vaugely how the wolf made walking away so...dignified.

"Here, Shifu, I got you a latte, or whatever." Monkey sighed, after watching the snowy lupine disappear into Tigress's room.

The Grandmaster stared in hidden surprise as the primate handed him a teacup. Then Shifu sighed. It was just normal Chi Tea.

Noticing his look, Monkey threw his hands in the air. "Hey, it was the best I could do!"

Crane and Po sniggered at his last remark, and Shifu shrugged, taking a long sip of the offered beverage.

~oOo~

"Is anyone else hungry? Cause I am." Monkey stated as they watched the dark waves pull them closer to Tigrispart. The sun sunk into the middle of the pale sky, tinting the bed of clouds it rested on red and orange, and making the sea glimmer like an endless stretch of jostling blue stars.

"Um, Shifu, can you cook?" Po asked in a suspiciously quick voice. Monkey glared at him warily.

"Actually, I can, if you want the honest truth."

All attention was drawn to the red panda.

"Great!" Crane said. "Because I don't think Po wants to cook."

The Dragon Warrior shook his head. "Nah, I think I'm gonna rest." He said, lumbering away. He had learned his lesson; Never eat almond cookies and dumplings before looking down into the ocean.

~oOo~

Rooper, King of Tigrispart Island, jogged his way up the marble steps up to his Palace. Now, it wasn't as ancient as the Jade Palace, or so grand as the the tower in Gongmen City, but it held it's own magnificence.

It was new, of course, built only around three decades ago, but just the way the gleaming, polished columns of smooth crystal and turquoise stood made the whole island seem brave and majestic; the domed roof was made out of neat green slates, the floor out of cold, pearl-like tile, and the walls of stone worn perfectly smooth and with intricate swirls of crimson, dark green, and sky-blue stretching and curling on their surfaces.

At the sides stood to large poles with orange, white, and blue flags waving back and forth lazily in the breeze, with a red flame in the white part like a seal of some sort.

This was Rooper's domain, his castle, his home. Two palace guards stepped up; a leopard and a tiger. They bowed respectfully, palm-to-fist style. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Hello Keith, Kuja." He acknowledged, nodding to the spotted then the striped. "Would you mind telling me where to find Luca?"

"Of course, Sire-she is in the royal kitchen waiting for you." Kuja, the tiger, responded.

"Thank you," Rooper said, smiling. The two bowed again as he passed into the hall, but Keith's words stopped him.

"Oh, and she told us to report to you there is a messanger with some important news."

Thanking the leopard, the pantherine strode to the royal kitchen. Servant's sandals squeaked on the shining, slippery floor, and rushed in and out of the halls. The cielings towered over Rooper's head, and sunshine spilled in through the clear windows. Everything had an air of light satisfaction.

Rooper swivelled into a hall, but someone came up from behind him and wrapped their arms around his neck. The tiger laughed away his startledness.

"Flora, you little sneak, what are you doing here?" He questioned his daughter fondly.

"Oh, just passing by," The tigress said, breaking away from her embrace. She had red-orange fur and sharp blue eyes, dressed in a golden-and-white tunic. "You?"

"On my way to see your mother," Rooper informed happily.

"Ok, cool." Flora sighed. "I'll see you later, Dad." Then the tigress trotted away into one of the spiraling halls, and Rooper the other.

~oOo~

Breakfast lay steaming on the oak table, tantalizing smells drawing Rooper forward like invisible hands. A white tigress with a three-sided star on her forehead walked in, her kind saphire blue-green eyes shining softly. One her head was nestled was wearing a silver tiara with a glimmering aqua-blue gem on it.

"Hi, sweetie." she said to Rooper. The tiger turned and faced her, and his face brightened automatically.

"Hi Luca." he said, his face spliting into a wide grin. Rooper sat down on a chair and began to eat, though he payed more attention to Luca than his food. The female tiger smiled gently and grabbed something with care off the shelf.

"Rooper, someone's waiting for you. He has a message." Luca informed.

"So I heard." Rooper responded, scraping the last reamains of his nearly demolished breakfast off his plate. Luca revealed a golden crown with green stones on it and set it gently on Rooper's head, who looked up with a slight smile.

"Go and meet him, my tiger King." she whispered in a slightly playful voice, and then the white tigress kissed Rooper fondly on his head, who grinned. Rooper got up and headed towards the door, hand-in-hand with his mate, the expression on his face serious and unreadible. Yet his amber eyes sparkled under the solemn look as he headed to greet the messanger.

~oOo~

Rooper came into a large room basking in warm sunlight. A smooth crimson carpet was rolled out flatly on the marble floors, leading from the oak door to a set of stairs, and two flags were hoisted in a large X over a pair of majestic thrones, with the mark of Tigrispart embroidered skillfully on them. Massive arched pillars stretched to the cieling, and the steps of the tigers' echoed in the giant room. The felines headed up to their thrones, and when Rooper swivelled his head around in acknowledgement of a faint sound, he noticed ther crane messanger.

King Rooper recognized the fellow. He was a black-necked crane, with shy green eyes, baggy dark green pants and a golden sash around his waist. The messanger also had on a rice hat with a blue feather pointing out, which signified he was a senior worker of the palace. Red meant beginner, and purple skilled. Blue was highest of all ranks. Clinking together when he shifted nervously were two rings around each talon and five rings around each leg. A small scar ran down from the top of his right eye to the middle of his cheek, and it rippled as his expression changed. When Rooper stepped up to him, the crane bowed.

"Ah, Max." Rooper said, "What happened?"

"Well, Sire," he began quietly, tapping one talon on the floor as if trying to think. "I was doing my duty, as usual, watching the sea, you know, for anything suspicious. When suddenly, I see this huge boat. So I flew in a little closer so I could see who was on and such. I figured out the boat was called 'Water Dragon', and I saw some shapes out there." Max informed, but his eyes grew wider and voice smaller with every word."But, Sire, I swear I saw a panda." the crane concluded in a whisper.

A sense of shock filled Rooper, making him freeze. "A panda?" he nearly gasped quietly, obviously surprised. Max nodded seriously.

"Yes, Sire."

"A panda..." he repeated incrediously. "But...the only panda's alive live here-on Tigrispart Island."

"Your Highness, I know my eyes are fine, if I may...and that WAS a panda, if it was anything." Max said. "No other creature that looks like an overweight half-burnt marshmellow." Luca and Rooper stared at each other, trying to keep from gawking, both at his claim of seeing a panda and the frank description of it.

"And, son, how far would you say this boat is from us?" Rooper asked, after clearing his throat.

"If it keeps the pace up, my guess...it'll land here late at night."

"Then I want guards out there. And whenever that boat gets here, tell me. Because that panda needs a fair greeting." Rooper finished decisively.

"Yes, Sire, right away." said the messanger, bowing his long neck shyly in respect. Rooper smiled.

"Thank you, Max." he said. The spindly avian got up, bowed one more time, and then flew out to fetch the guards with a silent flap of his wings.

"A panda!" Rooper repeated in a whisper, eyes filled with question. Was this what the strange Binjo had meant by welcoming the warrior of black and white? How could a panda be a warrior?

And if so...

Who was the hero with the heart of flame?

_I know, not the longest, most exciting chapter, but we'll get some action soon, don't you worry. Leave a review, if you please, though I know I shouldn't be asking._

_Question to those from Nick: Should I start up the quote thing, or whatever you guys called it, on this? I'll leave it up to you all._

_-Dragoness of the Stars_


End file.
